Bathing-suit.



J. F. BURKE.

BATHING SUIT.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 1a, 1900.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

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J. F. BURKE.

BATHING SUIT.

APPLICATION FILED max: 1a, 1908.

1 04 1 012 Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

JOHN F. BURKE, OF FHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BATHING-SUIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 18, 1908. Serial No. 439,135.

Patented a.. 15,1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. BURKE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Bathing-Suits, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to bathing suits, and consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompany ing drawing which form a part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a bathing suit with means to give it buoyancy whereby it may support the wearer against sinking, and at the same time be so incorporated or combined with the bathing suit proper as to be shielded from view; the object is also to so construct the said buoyant means that it does not detract from the artistic effect of the bathing suit as a whole.

My invention consists. in combining the textile bathing suit with a buoyant garment adapted to be worn next to the skin, and consisting of a series of buoyant parts yieldingly or adjustably connected and inclosed within the outer garment or suit proper.

My invention, furthermore, consists in providing the bloomers of the bathing suit 80 with side pockets containing buoyant fillin pieces.

y invention also consists in providing the skirtof the bathing suit proper with a series of long pockets extending downward from the waistband and each provided with buoyant filling pieces, preferably detachable. My invention also comprehends details of construction which, together with the features above specified, will be better understood by reference to the drawings, in

which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective viewof the buoyant garment detached from the outer or bathing suit; Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the complete bathing suit, with the exception of the skirt applied to the wearer; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the skirt; Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view across the bloomers; Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the buoyant filling pieces; and Fig.

7 is a cross section showing the structure of the buoyant parts of the garment illustrated in Fig. 1. a

2, 2 are two buoyant front body parts and 3 is a buoyant back part respectively for the front and back of the body above the waist.

The parts 2 are respectively connected to each side of the back part 3 by flexible Webs I 4 which are preferably of elastic webbing. Straps 5 connect the upper edge of the back part3 with the upper edges of the front parts 2, and these are also preferably formed of elastic webbing. The parts 2, 2 may be connected by any suitable means of attachment such as by buckles, as indicated at 6.

7 is a waistband and may be tightened around the waist by means of buckles 8; and

' it is desirable to connect the lower edges of the parts 2, 2 and 3 with the said belt or waistband by flexible webs 9. It will be seen that by these means the parts 2, 2 and 3 are snugly held to the body and by means of the adjustability of the belt and the elasticity of the webs 4 and 5 they may fit persons of different sizes.

11 and 12 are two parts of buoyant material curved in shape so as to fit the front and back portions of the leg and these are preferably connected by elastic webbing 13. These parts 11 and 12 are further connected with the belt or waistband 7 by means of web strips 14, which also may be made of elastic webbing so as to give the limbs absolute freedom of movement. The belt 7 may also be provided with buttons 10 to which the outer garment may be attached.

The several parts 2, 2, 3, l1 and 12 and also, if desired, the belt portion 7 are preferably made of buoyant material with the construction illustrated in Fig. 7, so as to form a ribbed inner surface which comes next to the skin to leave vertical grooves through which the water may circulate. Re-

ferring to Fig. 7, 23 represents cork or buoyant material faced upon the outer surface with oil-skin 24. The inner surface is faced with waterproof fabric 25 attached through the cork'to the outer layer 24 in such a manner as to produce a series of parallel pockets 27 which may be filled up with cork or other buoyant material as indicated at 28. These pockets, when filled up, constitute a series of ribs which project inwardly and rest upon the body of the wearer and form between them a series of vertical grooves 26 through which the water may flow. While I prefer this construction of buoyant parts, they may be made in any other suitable manner desired.

Surrounding the buoyant garmentv illustrated in Fig. 1 is the bathing suit proper indicated by the parts'15 and 19, and these are made of woolen or other fabric and applied to the wearer in the ordinary manner, but preferably by having the waistband provided with button holes for the attachment to the buttons 10 upon the belt 7. Ihe general construction of this outer garment may be varied to suit the desire of the manufacturer or wearer. The bloomer portion of the garment maybe provided on each side with a long deep pocket 16 having a sealing flap 17 at the top and adapted to contain the buoyant filling parts 18 shown in Fig. 5.

skirt and preferably for about a half of its depth are a series of pockets 20, each having,

adJacent to the waistband, a sealing flap 21, the said pockets being adapted to contain buoyant filling parts 22 which may be removed when the skirt is being washed or dried. While the skirt and the main part 15 of the bathing suit proper have been described as detachable and connected to the buoyant garment by means of the buttons 10, it is evident that no immediate connection need be had between these'parts, because the buoyant garment is securely inclosed by the outer garment when applied to the wearer.

It is evident that the buoyant filling parts 18 and 22, together with the pockets adapted to contain them may be omitted if 'desired; and it is also evident that, the parts 11 and 12 may likewise be omitted where much buoyancy is not desired. I prefer however to make the garment in its complete form,

substantially as herein set out.

I have shown my invention in the illustration in connection with a bathing suit for women, but it is to be understood that the invention is equally applicable for mens bathing suits, the shape of the parts being merely modified to suit, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself to the particular character of suit shown.

prefer the construction shown as being excellently adapted for the purposes of my invent-ion, the details may be modified without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by 1 ters Patent is 1. In a bat-hing suit, the combination detachable buoyant garment fitting nextto.

the body of the wearer and consisting of" 1 front and back body and leg buoyant por-- tions connected together into a harness by elastic webs.

2. In a bathing suit, the combination of a detachable buoyant garment fitting next to the body of the wearer and consisting of a buoyant body portions flexibly connected to I and above the belt portion and buoyant leg portions flexibly connected to and below the belt portion. 1

4. A buoyant garment to be worn under a bathing suit consisting of a series of buoyant parts shaped to fit the body and legs, combined with connecting flexible webs.

5. In a bathing suit the combination of a body garment fitting close to the body provided with a waist band and buoyant body pieces having means for detachaoly connecting them to the body above thewaist band, combined with an outer separate pervious textile garment in the form of bloomers provided with a waist band and pockets in its sides below the waist band, buoyant pieces secured in the pockets, and detachable connections between the waist band of the bloomers and the waistband of the body garment whereby the buoyant parts of the body garment are held close -to and relatively fixed with respect to the body and the buoyant parts of the bloomers are made to move with the legs but do not interfere with their free movement in swimming.

In testimony of which invention,'I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN F. BURKE.

Witnesses:

R. M; KELLY, R. M. HUNTER. 

